From the Pacific to
the Atlantic, couples and families are discovering that they need not
cruise far or fast to have a terrific vacation. Trawlers are an increasingly
available option in places that aren’t necessarily traditional charter
destinations.

“The kind of people
who come to us—fairly high-powered, high-stress people—there’s
a world of difference between the day they arrive and the day they return,”
says Bill Shermer of Blue Goose Charters on the Chesapeake Bay. “The
trawler, by its nature, slows the people down. It makes them relax.”

Baltimore Harbor, where
Shermer is based, has always been a boating mecca, but not necessarily
a charter-business magnet. Still, it’s perfect for a vacation aboard
a trawler: easily accessible from major airports, plenty of things to
see and do, and a shoreline that’s beautiful to cruise along. These
same qualities are also bringing trawler charter clients to places like
San Francisco, Southwest Florida, and parts of New England.

At a typical speed of
6 to 10 knots, trawlers are great for beginners who want hands-on instruction
and for anyone who simply finds navigating to a place as much fun as getting
there. Trawler charters can also be invaluable for anyone considering
buying a trawler. Several companies cite liveaboard charter/training courses
as a main draw for their Mainships, Marine Traders, Grand Banks, Kadey-Krogens,
and Nordic Tugs.

Barbara Hansen, who
with her husband, Vic, owns Southwest Florida Yachts, says another thing
luring charterers is trawlers’ economic value. “Versus a motoryacht
that’s burning 15, 20 gallons an hour, you’ve got a trawler
that’s burning between three and six gallons an hour,” she says.
“Our Grand Banks 32 burns about one and a half gallons an hour. That’s
about the same as a sailboat.”

Some privately owned
trawlers, like the handful that visit New England each year, offer full-on
crewed experiences. The Royal Passagemaker 57 Fine Romance is a
great example. Part of the Newport Yacht Management fleet, this boat is
run by the husband-and-wife team that owns it. For a virtually all-inclusive
rate of $8,500 per week, the husband acts as captain and the wife acts
as stewardess/chef for another couple or for a couple with a child.

A handful of similarly
crewed trawlers make their way to ports around the country each year depending
on their owners’ schedules, but most charter trawlers are within
bareboat fleets. Some companies will provide a captain for a semicrewed
experience, while others prefer to have clients learn from captains for
a few days (if necessary) before going cruising on their own.

“Philosophically,
I’d rather teach you than give you the boat with the captain, but
we’ll do it,” says David Forbes, general manager of Club Nautique
in California. “We want to make sure people know what they’re
doing, and we want to encourage people to feel comfortable chartering.”

The following is a sample
of options, along with information about what you can expect for your
charter dollar.